When Jim Henson passed away, Kermit the Frog was perched beside his casket with a sign saying, "I've lost my voice."
That's kind of how the Filipino people feel today.
Today is the death of freedom of speech. Our lawmakers (the very same ones that we put into power) saw it fit to pass The Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. While I understand the need for protection against cybercrimes, the law has some very scary parts. So scary, in fact, that Filipinos are now protesting what's being called cyber martial law. It's interesting to note that our president signed the damn thing--the son of the very president who had a "never again" campaign. Never say never?
This whole cyber martial law thing is very upsetting. I do not just feel stripped of my rights as a writer, blogger, and social media user--I feel oppressed as a free citizen of a supposedly democratic country. If you feel the same way, sign the petition now. Write to your senators. Make some noise.
(Just know that whatever you say online can get you thrown in jail. No bail.)
Next they'll be punishing bloggers for "offensive" comments posted by others!
ReplyDeleteThis is scary. I hope it is over-turned quickly.